Helpful tip for wildlife spotters: A running coyote will hold his tail down, while a running wolf will have his tail straight up. (Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation) Photo: rpizz/Flickr Creative

Coyotes are bad news for house cats that roam outdoors but good news for songbirds. They keep the feral cat population down, eliminating a threat. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) Photo: Jeremy Vandel/Flickr Creative Commons

Coyotes are bad news for house cats that roam outdoors but good news for songbirds. They keep the feral cat population down, eliminating a threat. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) Photo: Jeremy

The California Department of Fish and Game advises that if you are followed by a coyote, the best practice is to make noise. If that fails to scare the animal off, throw rocks. Dru Bloomfield/At Home in